Railway-track structure.



No. 762,342. PATENTED JUNE 14, 1904.

"RAILWAY TRACK STRUCTURE. APPLICATION FILED 001. 22. 1903.

N0 MODEL.

- WIT/(E885 [NYE/ T08 amaw- I 53mm QB.

9N5 ATTORNEY.

UNITED STATES Patented June 14, 1904.

PATENT O EIcE.

EDVARD OTT. OF JOHNSTOVVN, PENNSYLVANIA, ASSIGNOR TO THE LORAIN STEEL COMPANY, A CORPORATION OF PENNSYLVANIA.

RAILWAY-TRACK STRUCTURE- SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 762,342, dated June 14, 1904.

Application filed October 22, 1903.

To on whom, it may concern:

Be it known that I, EDWARD Orr, of J ohnstown,-in the county of Cambria and State of Pennsylvania, have invented a new and useful Improvement 'in Railway-Track Structures, of which the following is a'full, clear, and exact description, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, which form a part of this specification.

My invention has relation to certain new and useful improvements in railwaytrack structures, and more particularly to those structures in which removable plates of durable material are employed to form those 15- portions of the structure subject to the greatest wear. I V p Q My invention is designed to provide means of novel character for securing the plates in the body. of the structure whereby they may be readily removed and replaced-from the surface of the street.

With this object in view my invention consists in the combination, in a railway-track structure formed with a pocket for a plate and with key-seats and with a plate adapted to seat in said pocket, of key-bearings detachably engaged with said plate and compound keys or wedges driven between said key-bearings and the key-seats of the body structure and so arranged that a member of each key may be driven through the structure to release the holding action of the key.

My invention also preferably comprises means whereby the keys may be positively looked after they have been seated and driven, so that they cannot work loose in service.

My invention also consists in the novel construction, combination, and arrangement of parts, all substantially as hereinafter described, and. pointed out in the appended claims, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, in which Figure 1 is a plan view of a track structure embodying 'my invention; Fig. 2, a section on the line 2 2 of Fig. 1; Fig. 3, a transverse vertical section similar to that of Fig. 2, but showing a modification; Fig. 4, a side view of Serial No. 178,043. (No model.)

the plate removed, and Fig. 5 a perspective view of one of the key-bearings detached.

In the figures the letter A designates the body portion of the structure, and B the plate portion seated in a pocket in said body portion and constituting the track-surface of the structure at the parts subject to greatest wear.

' In the construction shown in Figs. 1 and 2 both lateral walls of the plate-pocket are formed with key-seats a, which are extended by the openings a through the floor of the structure. The side edges of the plate B are formed with recesses Z) opposite the key-seats c, and in the rear walls of these recesses are formed the slots 0 to receive the lugs d of keybea'ring pieces D. These piecesD, as shown in Fig. 5, are of triangular form with the inclined key-bearing faces 61.

The keys consist each of a wedge E and a block F, the wedge being driven between the bearing-faces d and the said blocks F. The pieces D are preferably of malleable material, so that after the wedge E has been driven the upper projecting end portion D can be driven over and down upon the upper end of the said wedge. As the piece D is engaged with the plate by means of its lug d, it is evident that the wedge cannot work loose when thus secured. Said wedges, together with the blocks F, may also be grooved or corrugated to receive the spelter or other retaining material G in which the plate is bedded. Whilethis spelter is being poured, the openings (4' are closed by means of suitable plugs. shown.) To release the fastenings, the blocks F are, by means of suitable drifts, driven down through the openings (0. The wedges E and pieces B can then be readily driven back out of engagement with the plate, and by means of pry-bars or lifting devices inserted in the slots 03 the plate can be readily removed from its seat. A new plate can then be seated. The use of the piece D, which can be readily separated from the plate, enables the latter to be made of such shape that as soon as the fastenings are released it is left entirely free from binding engagement with (Not the spelter or other bedding material. It is not necessary that the lugs (Z shall have an exact fit in the slots (1, since any space around these lugs will be filled by the bedding material.

In the modification shown in Fig. 3 keys are used at one side only of the plate, which is held at the opposite side by its dovetailed or undercut engagement with the walls of the pocket. This construction is not, however, practicable except with rectangular plates, since it is difiicult to seat the plates in this manner when they are of the polygonal form shown in Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 also illustrates a second modification, in that the block F has an undercut engagement with the wall of the pocket, which prevents any tendency it might have to work upward. This feature may be used in the construction shown in Figs. 1 and 2.

Although I have illustrated my invention in connection with a curve cross or frog, it is equally applicable to other track structures in which a removable plate is secured in a pocket in the body portion of the structure.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. In a railway-track structure, the combibat-ion with a body portion having a plateseating pocket therein, and key-seats in the -wall. of said pocket extending through the floor portion of said structure, of the plate having key bearings detaehably engaged therewith,and compound keys driven between said bearings and the seats of the structure.

2. In a railway-track structure, the combination with the body portion, of the plate seated therein, the key-bearing pieces engaged with said plate, and the compound keys, consisting each of a wedge or tightening member and a releasing member.

3. In a railway-track structure, the combination with the body portion, of the plate seated therein, the key-bearing pieces engaging the said plate and having the malleable upper end portions, and the compound key whose wedging member is arranged to be locked in place by said end portion.

4:. In a plate-fastening for railway-track structures, a compound key having a wedging or tightening member and a releasing member, and holding-down means engaging the upper end of the tightening member.

5. In a railway-track structure of the class described, the combination with a removable wear-plate, having recessed edges, of keybearing pieces detachably engaging said edges.

6. In a plate-fastening for railway-track structures, a key-bearing having at one side a lug for engagement with the plate, and at the opposite side an inclined key-seating surface.

7. In a plate-fastening for railway-track structures, a key-bearing having at one side a lug for engagement with the plate and at the opposite side an inclined key-seating surface, and also having a malleable upper end portion.

In testimony whereof I have affixed my signature in presence of two witnesses.

EDWARD OTT.

I/Vi tn esses:

Lonu'r'ro- OCONNELL, H. W. SMITH. 

